Sweden and Norway on Wednesday reported a narrowing in their annual current surpluses in the fourth quarter of 2009.

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The surplus in Sweden fell 26 percent to 40.8 billion kronor (4.2 billion euros, 5.7 billion dollars) from the third quarter, the central statistics office said. In annual terms the contraction came to 42 percent.

In oil-rich Norway the current account surplus stood at 98 billion kroner (12 billion euros, 16.3 billion dollars) in the fourth quarter, a fall of 30 percent from the same period of 2008 that was attributed to a decline in crude prices.

The surplus in Norway expanded 32 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the third quarter last year, according to the country's statistics office.

The current account is a broad picture of a country's foreign trade, measuring trade in goods and services and certain financial transactions.